Wire receptacle construction



Feb. 7, 1961 E. GLI-:ZEN

WIRE RECEPTACLE CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 21. 1959 INI/Ewan Ew/.f E. fLEzE/v BY mm/ ,yrrarf/vgys Feb. 7, 1961 l.. E. GLEZEN 2,970,714

WIRE RECEPTACLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 21, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7L" Q; .INVENTOR v sw/5 5.6EZEN @Ms m7/ arrow? er.:

wma RECEPTACLE CONSTRUCTION Lewis E. Glezen, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Mid-West Metallic Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 860,900

8 Claims. (Cl. 220-19) This invention relatesto improvements in trays or receptacles, and more particularly to that type adapted to be tiered when in use and to be nested when empty.

Whenever in the specication and claims these trays or receptacles are referred to as trays or receptacles, it is intended that either term includes crates, boxes, baskets, trays, skids, pallets, ats, and similar receptacles or article carrying devices which may be stacked one upon another when in use and nested when empty for conservation of space.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a tierable and nestable receptacle having no moving parts, having rigidly connected upper and lower tiering support members to provide tiering, and having one of these tiering support members comprising a hook-like means.

A further object of the present invention is to provfde a tierable and nestable receptacle having one or more continuous, rod-like elements forming one or more closed loops with these loops having portions thereof forming the upper tiering support members, forming the lower tiering support members, forming lateral support for articles on the bottom load supporting part, joining the side and bottom parts, or limiting the vertical approach distance between nested receptacles.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a receptacle characterized by its inexpensive manufacturing cost, ease of assembly of its component parts, structural simplicity, strong and sturdy nature, compactness in nesting relationship with like receptacles, multiplicity of functional advantages, and/or ease of assemb'y with like receptacle in either tiered or nested relationship.

Other features of this invention reside in the arrangement and design of the parts for carrying out their appropriate functions.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and descrfption and the essential features will be set forth in the appended claims.

` In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a receptacle taken from above;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the receptacle in Fig. l with a load or article supported therein shown in dot-dash line;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the receptacle in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of four baskets of the type shown in Fig. 1 Astacked together with the bottom three receptacles in nested relationship and the top two receptacles in tiered relationship; while Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 5 5 in Fig. 4 to show the relationship of some of the component parts.

Before the receptacles here illustrated are specifically described, it is to be understood that the invention here involved is not limited to the structural details or arrangement of parts here shown since receptacles embodying the present invention may take various forms. It also is 2,970,714 Patented Feb. 7, 1961 to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein employed is for purposes of description and not of limitation since the scope of the present invention is denoted by the appended claims.

Receptacle 10 is adapted for tiering and nesting with receptacles of like construction. This receptacle 10 has a plurality of rigidly interconnected parts including bottom load supporting part 11, two parallel side parts 12- rigidly connected with this bottom part 11, two parallel upper tiering support members 13 rigidly connected with the side parts 12 and two parallel lower tiering support members 14 rigidly connected with bottom part 11 for interengagement to hold like receptacles in tiered relationship, and clearways 15 (shown in Fig. 2 as a left hand clearway 15 and a right hand clearway 15 with each vertically extending between a pair of vertically aligned support members 13 and 14) to receive like trays in nested relationship.

Receptacle 10 has as parts thereof a plurality of continuous, rod-like elements each forming a closed loop (three being shown) of generally rectangular shape with these loops shown as upper edge closed loop 21, bottom edge closed loop 23, and intermediate closed loop 25. These loops provide the receptacle with a simplicity of construction and many advantageous features., Each of these loops has integrally connected a rst pair of opposite side portions and a second pair of opposite side portions with these portion pairs shown respectively for loops 21, 23 and 25 as portions 21a, 21o; 21h, 2lb; 23a, 23a; 23b, 2312; 25a, 25a; and 25h, 25h.

Bottom load supporting part 11 includes a plurality of interconnected parts. Parallel side portions 23a are spaced apart by a plurality of coplanar transverse rods 31 (four being shown) with each rod welded at opposite ends to the side portions 23a. A plurality of laterally spaced, longitudinally extending rods 32 are welded or -otherwise secured to each of the transverse rods 31 and have their ends engaging endmost rods 31 and welded thereto.

Each of two parallel side parts 12 includes a plurality of interconnected parts. Loop side portions 21a, 23a and 25a extend parallel to each other in any one side part 12 and extend parallel to the same corresponding portions in other side part 12. Each side part 12 includes a plurality of diagonal rods (six being shown) 33 arranged in generally V-shape formations. Each rod 33 in Fig. 3 comprises a plurality of parallel portions (three being shown) integrally interconnected by two bends 33a and 33h. These bends permit receptacles 10 to nest and to tier, as will be apparent in the description hereinafter `and in Figs. 3 and 5. In nesting, opposite side portions 23a and 25a of an upper receptacle 10 may vthus t easily between rods 33 above bends 33a in opposite side parts 12 in a lower receptacle 10.

Opposite loop side portions 21a, 23a and 25a provide advantageous functions. Each portion 21a makes rigid the upper portion of side part 12, and each side portion 23a joins together bottom part 11 and side part 12. Each portion 25a serves as: (l) a reinforcing element for receptacle 10 integrally secured at opposite ends to lower tiering support members 14 and at intermediate locations to side diagonal rod parts 33 a spaced distance above bottom part 11, (2) a vertical spacer of nested receptacles (see lower three vreceptacles in Fig. *4) by engaging portion 23a on the receptacle above it, and (3) a lateral support in Fig. 3 for any load 35 on bottom part 11 since each portion 25a extends generally parallel to bottom part 11, extends along the full length dimension of receptacle 10, is located above bottom part 11, and is connected to side diagonal rod parts 33.

The upper two receptacles 10 in Figs. 4 and 5 are stacked in tiered relationship. The two lower tiering Supports 14 of the upper receptacle 10 are adapted to engage and rest upon the corresponding two, upper tiering support members 13 of the lower like receptacle 10 in this tiering relationship. Tiering takes place because, in each receptacle 16, the upper tiering support members 13 are above corresponding lower tiering support members 14, and are located near but spaced inwardly from oppoSite ends of receptacle 10. The two upper tiering support members 13 include the two parallel bars or opposite parallel side portions 2lb in Fig. 1. Lower tiering support members 14 are at the same horizontal spacing as the two bars 2lb. Each lower tiering support member 14 is in the shape of a hook means formed by opposite loop side portions 23b and 25b in Figs. l, 2 and 3 respectively bent upwardly and downwardly relative to their respective associated side portions 23a and 25a. Each of these side portions 23h and 25b is a U-shape portion or element. U-shaped element 25b passes through U-shaped element 231; with the two U-legs 25e of portion or element 25b converging toward its U-cross bar 25d, as best seen in Fig. 3. These legs 25C are located under and are secured to U-cross bar 23d of loop element or side portion 23b. The U-shape of portion 23b is formed by two generally parallel U-legs 23e and U-cross bar 23d. In the illustrated receptacle in Fig. 3, U-shapes 23b and 25b each form a portion, of the hook means in lower tiering support member 14 adapted to hook over bar 2lb of upper tiering support member 13 on a lower receptacle, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

In tiered position, the receptacles are prevented from having substantial relative movement in the horizontal plane. The hook shapes of lower tiering support members 14 on upper receptacle 10 engage bars 2lb of upper tiering support members 13 on a lower receptacle to prevent relative movement in a direction transverse to the bars 2lb in a longitudinal direction. Relative movement between receptacles 1t) in a transverse direction (parallel to bars 21b) is prevented by parallel lower edge side portions Z3a on the upper receptacle being telescopically located between diagonal side rods 33 of a lower receptacle, as shown in Fig. S.

A receptacle can be easily added from one end in tiered position to the top of a high stack, such as from the left end in Fig. 4. Bottom 11 of the added receptacle is rested on left bar 2lb and then is pushed toward the right until the right hand support members vertically align, at which time this receptacle is lowered into tiered position. During this movement toward the right, the top of the stack laterally guides the added receptacle because, on top of the stack, left hand bar 21b is below the plane of portions 21a and the bends 33a and 33b permit portions 21a and the upper ends of rods 33 to straddle portions 23a and 25a and the lower ends of rods 33 on the receptacle being added.

If the top two receptacles 10 in Figs. 4 and 5 are removed, the remaining two receptacles will be in nested relationship. These two like nested receptacles, hereinafter called upper and lower receptacles, were put in nested relationship by the broadly described sequentially performed steps of entering, by manipulation, bottom load supporting part 11 of upper receptacle 10 into one clear; way of lower receptacle 10; entering the other end of part 11 beneath bar 2lb into other clearway 15 of lower receptacle 10; and passing load supporting part 11 of upper receptacle 10 downwardly inv clearways 15 of lower receptacle 10 into the illustrated nesting relationship in lower receptacle 10.

Now, this nesting operation will be described in detail step by step. First, upper receptacle 10 is held above and out of contact with lower receptacle 1@ with these receptacles being horizontal and in generally vertica alignment.

Second, upper receptacle 1 0 is tilted either clockwise or vcounterclockwise about a transverse axis. For purposes of illustration, it will be assumed that upper receptacle 10 is swung about its right bar 2lb as a pivot with its left bar 2lb moving in the counterclockwise direction downwardly away from the horizontal position so that upper receptacle 19 is inclined downwardly toward the left in Fig. 4.

hird, upper receptacle 10 is now lowered vertically so that its left lower tiering support member 14 in Fig. 4 passes downwardly between bars 2lb of lower receptacle 1t) until support member 14 is below the plane of these bars 2lb.

Fourth, upper receptacle 10 is shifted generally horizontally toward the left in Fig. 4 so that this support member 14 of upper receptacle 10 is slid through left hand clearway 15 on lower receptacle 10 in Fig. 2, formed between its left bar 2lb and left portions 23h and 25b, until right hand lower tiering support member 14 on upper receptacle 10 is vertically to the left of right cross bar 2lb of lower receptacle 10.

Fifth, upper receptacle 10 may be swung in a clockwise direction about its left hand cross bar 2lb so that its right hand portions 23b and 25b clear the right hand cross bar 2lb of lower receptacle 10 for manipulation into nesting relationship.

Sixth, upper receptacle 10 is shifted generally horizontally toward the right in both clearways 15 of lower receptacle 10 until these receptacles assume the nested relationship shown by the two lower receptacles 10 in Fig. 4.

It should be noted that in nesting, as shown by the three lower receptacles in Figs. 4 and 5, the closest vertical approach distance between adjacent receptacles is determined by engagement of the bottom of lower loop portions 23a on the top of intermediate loop portions 25a. This approach distance is not determined by interengagement of diagonal rods 33 on vertically adjacent receptacles.

Rods 33 in each side part 12 provide several functions by their coplanar relationship in each side part 12 and by their downwardly converging V-relationship. First, after aforementioned step No. 4 has been iinished in this nesting action, aforementioned steps Nos. 5 and 6 will take place automatically by dropping upper receptacle 10 because the downwardly converging rods 33 will pull the receptacles into the illustrated nested relationship. Second, the downwardly converging and coplanar arrangement of rods 33 prevents substantial relative movement between the receptacles in the nested relationship in a direction generally transverse to rods 2lb, as is apparent after considering the nested receptacles in Fig. 4. Third, this construction minimizes lost space between adjacent receptacles in tiered relationship. Fourth, relative movement between the receptacles in the nested relationship in a direction parallel to rods 2lb is prevented by rods 33 of one receptacle engaging with portions 21a, 23a and/or 25a of the other receptacle. Fifth, the diagonal arrangement of rods 33 permits the mutual displacement of bottom parts 11 of adjacent receptacles 10 required in many of the aforementioned nesting steps.

Additional receptacles may be nested or stacked as taught herein.

The receptacles 10 may be easily disengaged from nested position or relationship by the reverse of the aforedescribed nesting procedure. Then, the uppermost receptacle is displaced endwise in one direction until one end may be brought up vertically inside the overlying, vertically aligned cross rail or rails 2lb of the lower receptacle or receptacles in the nest; the free end of the upper receptacle is pivoted upwardly, the upper receptacle is side shifted in the opposite direction, and then the upper receptacle is raised vertically out from between bars 2lb of the lower receptacle or receptacles in the nest.

Various changes in details and arrangement of parts can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from either the spirit of this invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A receptacle adapted for tiering and nesting with receptacles of like construction comprising rigidly interconnected parts including a bottom load supporting part, and side parts rigidly connected with said bottom part, said aforementioned parts including upper tiering support members rigidly connected with said side parts, said aforementioned parts including lower tiering support members rigidly connected with said bottom part, said upper support members being above corresponding lower support members, one of said tiering support members comprising a bar and one of said tiering support members comprising a hook means, whereby the lower support members of one receptacle are adapted to engage and rest upon the corresponding upper support members of a second like receptacle in tiering relationship, there being clearways provided between said aforementioned parts enterable by said load supporting part of an upper like receptacle by manipulation after which said load supporting part of said upper receptacle may pass downwardly in said clearways to nesting relationship in said lower receptacle, said aforementioned parts being so constructed that the hook means engages said bar on a like receptacle in at least one of said positions to prevent relative movement between said receptacles in at least one direction, said hook means including two generally U-shaped elements with the U-legs of one element passing through the U-shape of the other element and secured to the U-cross bar of the other element so that each U-shaped element forms a portion of the hook means.

2. A receptacle adapted for tiering and nesting with receptacles of like construction comprising rigidly interconnected parts including a bottom load supporting part, and side parts rigidly connected with said bottom part, said aforementioned parts including upper tiering support members rigidly connected with said side parts, said aforementioned parts including lower tiering support members rigidly connetced with said bottom part, said upper support members being above corresponding lower support members, one of said tiering support members comprising a bar and one of said tiering support members comprising a hook means, whereby the lower support members of one receptacle are adapted to engage and rest upon the corresponding upper support members of a second like receptacle in tiering relationship, there being clearways provided between said aforementioned parts enterable by said load supporting part of an upper like receptacle by manipulation after which said load supporting part of said upper receptacle may pass downwardly in said clearways to nesting relationship in said lower receptacle, said aforementioned parts being so constructed that the hook means engages said bar on a like receptacle in at least one of said positions to prevent relative movement between said receptacles in at least one direction, said hook means being one of said lower tiering support members, a reinforcing element secured at one location to said last mentioned lower tiering support member and at another location to one of said side parts a spaced distance above said bottom part.

3. A receptacle, as set forth in claim 2, with said element extending from said last mentioned one lower support member and located generally parallel to and along the full length of and above said bottom part to provide lateral support for any load on said bottom part.

4. A receptacle, adapted for tiering and nesting with receptacles of like construction comprising rigidly interconnected parts including a bottom load supporting part, and side parts rigidly connected with said bottom part, said aforementioned parts including upper tiering support members rigidly connected with said side parts, said aforementioned parts including lower tiering support members rigidly connected with said bottom part, said upper support members being above corresponding lower support members, whereby the lower support members of one receptacle are adapted to engage and rest upon the corresponding upper support members of a second like receptacle in tiering relationship, there being clearways provided between said aforementioned parts enterable by said load supporting part of an upper like receptable by manipulation after which said load supporting part of said upper receptacle may pass downwardly in said clearways to nesting relationship in said lower receptacle, said aforementioned parts including two continuous rod-like elements each forming a closed loop of generally rectangular shape, one of said elements having opposite side portions extending along one dimension of the receptacle and counected to said side paitsabove said bottom part to laterally support any load on said bottom part, the other of said elements having corresponding opposite side portions joining said side and bottom parts.

5. A receptacle, as set forth in claim 4, with each of said rod-like elements having not only said rst recited opposite side portions but also second opposite side portions generally right angularly related in said generally rectangular shape from said first opposite side portions, said first opposite side portions extending parallel, said lower tiering support members on each receptacle being two in number and located at opposite ends of said bottom part with one at each end, each lower tiering support member including said second side portions of said other and one element respectively bent upwardly and downwardly relative to their respective associated first side portions with each second side portion formed as a U-shaped portion with the U-legs of said one element converging toward its U-cross bar with said legs located under and secured to the U-cross bar of the other element with each U-shape forming a 4portion of a hook means, said upper tiering part comprising two parallel bars having the same spacing as said two hook means, whereby said hook means on an upper receptacle engage said upper tiering bars on a like lower receptacle in tiered position as said respective lower and upper tiering members to prevent relative movement between said receptacles in at least one direction.

6. A receptacle adapted for tiering and nesting with receptacles of like construction comprising rigidly interconnected parts including a bottom load supporting part, and side parts rigidly connected with said bottom part, said aforementioned parts including upper tiering support members rigidly connected with said side parts, said aforementioned parts including lower tiering support members rigidly connected with said bottom part, said upper support members being above corresponding lower support members, one of said tiering support members comprising a bar and one of said tiering support members comprising a hook means, whereby the lower support members of one receptacle are adapted to engage and rest upon the corresponding upper support members of la second like receptacle in tiering relationship, there being clearways provided between said aforementioned parts enterable by said load supporting part of an upper like receptacle by manipulation after which said load supporting part of said upper receptacle may pass downwardly in said clearways to nesting relationship in said lower receptacle, said aforementioned parts being so constructed that the hook means engage said bar on a like receptacle in at least one of said positions to prevent relative movement between said receptacles in at least one direction, said parts including an upper edge closed loop, bottom edge closed loop, and intermediate closed loop, one of said tiering support members including portions of said intermediate loop and of one of said' edge loops, the other of said tiering support members including portions of the other of said edge loops, said side parts including portions of each of said loops.

7. A receptacle adapted for tiering with a like receptacle and having a bottom, two generally parallel side portions rigidly connected to said bottom and two upper tiering support portions at opposite ends and rigidly connected with said bottom, a rod extending along each n said side portions and spaced above said bottom and forming a side guide for articles movable along said bottom in said receptacle, each of said rods at each end being bent downwardly and passing beyond a portion of said bottom and being rigidly secured to said bottom, and the distance between said rods where they pass beyond said bottom being equal to the distance between said two upper tiering support portions, whereby said receptacle may be tiered upon a like receptacle with said junction of said bottom with said rods of an upper receptacle resting upon said tiering support portions of a lower receptacle and said rods beyond said bottom holding said receptacles against relative endwise movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Moorhead Dec. 15, 1953 Wilson Feb. 23, 1960 

